I just love Easter. It’s one of my favorite holidays. Dying easter eggs beautiful, pastel colors, planning easter egg hunts, baking homemade peeps and bunny-themed cupcakes — It’s just such a bright, happy time. Oh, and Easter brunch. Dressing up in white dresses and spring wedges, drinking fresh-squeezed mimosas and delicious eggs Benedict — but best of all, I get to share these traditions with my family. Here are some recipes and ideas to share with yours this holiday weekend:

How to Make Marshmallow Peeps – It’s SO easy. Click here for the recipe.

I’ve never made these Egg Macaroon Nests from Lauren Conrad’s blog, but I’m excited to try this year!

And of course, Easter mimosas, 5 ways… drink up and find the recipe here.

Since Austin is my hometown, people taking a weekend trip to Texas’ best city often ask me where to eat and what to do in Austin. Love and Lemons provides a conference guide, for people staying in Austin for a short amount of time, which I like, because it’s a “what you can’t miss” type of post and it mentions some of my favorite restaurants and activities.

Elizabeth street cafe is a must. This adorable house-turned-cafe has my favorite pho and Vietnamese coffee in Austin.

Second bar + grill is delicious. I love love love guacamole and they serve warm guacamole with chorizo and house-made chips. It is amazing. Please go.

I like that she mentions Rainey street for drinks. It’s much more low-key than 6th street – not your crazy college scene at all. All the bars are outside and there are local food trucks for late-night cravings. Rainey is where you find the real Austin crowd and it’s so much fun.

I grew up on Amy’s ice cream. It is the Austin ice cream joint. Mexican bourbon vanilla is to die for.

I do wish that she mentioned Mozart’s though, because it’s one of my favorite coffee joints in Austin. Located on Lake Austin, it’s the perfect place to sit outside, sip on a chai lattes and watch the sunset. It’s a little bit outside of downtown, but definitely a place worth stopping by.

Town lake is another must. My typical day at home consists of paddle boarding or kayaking on the lake, running the trail and grabbing smoothies at Juiceland or acai bowls and Blenders and Bowls (another must-try).

]]>https://laursnyder.wordpress.com/2014/04/04/april-loves/feed/0laursnyderApril Blogapril blog 2And we’re off!https://laursnyder.wordpress.com/2014/03/07/and-were-off/
https://laursnyder.wordpress.com/2014/03/07/and-were-off/#respondFri, 07 Mar 2014 17:19:26 +0000http://laursnyder.wordpress.com/?p=178]]>Off to the Galap we ‘gos. (Clever huh?) It is finally spring break and I’m so excited to take a vacation. My friend and I are going, and we are looking forward to snorkeling, scuba diving, hiking in the jungle and sailing. Bon voyage and see you in a week!]]>https://laursnyder.wordpress.com/2014/03/07/and-were-off/feed/0laursnyderMy favorite green smoothiehttps://laursnyder.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/my-favorite-green-smoothie/
https://laursnyder.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/my-favorite-green-smoothie/#respondFri, 21 Feb 2014 00:47:22 +0000http://laursnyder.wordpress.com/?p=152]]>One of my friends made me this smoothie a couple years ago and I’ve been making it ever since. He only put spinach, peanut butter, protein powder, bananas and milk, and the smoothie tasted nothing like it looked: healthy and green. I’ve since adapted it a bit, adding in many more ingredients. Here’s my recipe:

1 frozen banana

A handful of kale and spinach, rinsed

Around 2 tablespoons of peanut or almond butter

12 to 16 ounces almond milk

1 scoop of protein powder (I use raw, vanilla protein powder)

About a tablespoon each of chia seeds, goji berries

1-2tsp flaxseed oil

And maybe a little honey for good measure

You can also sub the almond milk for regular milk, coconut milk, etc. and could even sprinkle in some bee pollen or add some dates. It’s so easy to add to.

Spring semester is in full swing and it’s been a long, stressful week. I’ve been looking forward to a relaxing weekend. I’m planning on getting plenty of zzz’s, going to weekend warrior both Saturday and Sunday, cooking, having brunch with friends, going to the spa for a much needed facial and getting ahead on assignments and studying for the upcoming week. After such a hectic week, my thoughts are all over the place. So, I thought I’d share a few random things that I’ve been thinking about, like my favorite breakfast recipes, most of which I make on the weekend in bulk and have on-hand to eat throughout the week.

This superfood quinoa breakfast bowl is always my go-to. I love it because it’s a creamy, coconut quinoa base and I can add any toppings I’m feeling that day. It always ends up being some crazy combination of coconut flakes, honey, goji berries, chia seeds, bee pollen, berries and sometimes chocolate chips – yum!

This is my favorite baked oatmeal recipe. I found it on Pinterest forever ago and I make it at least twice a month. I always sub coconut milk, though, because can’t you tell? I’m coconut obsessed over here.

I’ve also got some extra apples to use up, and I’m thinking about baking this gluten-free apple crisp. If I nix the ice-cream it could be considered breakfast, right?

Also, as I look forward to de-stressing in yoga this weekend, I remembered a clip that a friend shared with me this week. This video from lululemon’s blog could not be more accurate, especially the bit about post-yoga hair.

I work and spin at Beyond Pedaling, a boutique spinning studio here in Dallas. This week during one of the classes I was attending, an awesome remix of Kanye West’s song Bound 2 was on the playlist. I’m adding this Solidisco remix to my running mix stat.

Something I’ve been coveting:

Since I’ve returned from Australia this past winter break, I have not been able to shake the beach-y, summer vibe. So, lately I’ve been gravitating toward art and decor like this cute porcelain elephant tray from Calypso. And how fun is this Emilio Pucci bag? #inspired by those Aussie waves.

One of my friends recently showed me this gem in Highland Park Village and it’s become one of my go-to coffee shops since then. I love it because it has all of my favorite things in one location: great coffee, organic eats, coffee-table books, candles and boutique goods. When you walk in, you enter the cafe seating and coffee bar. The atmosphere is clean and comfortable, with booth seating, black and white decor and bright flowers on each table. Everything they serve is homemade and delicious. They make their own almond milk; which is my favorite paired with their strong iced coffee and gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. I often go with friends for lunch, because I crave the hearty vegetable soup daily, especially during these cold, winter months, but their breakfast is my favorite. They make the best poached eggs, but the multi-grain toast with honey butter? The best. They also carry Vim + Vigor juices and Bellocq Organic Teas. Everything here is done well, just as their philosophy says:

“Our salads, sandwiches, soups, dips and baked goods are all prepared in-house to the highest nutritional standards with simple ingredients of the best quality available. We strive to use all organic products when possible or use local farmers when organic is not available. Most of our offerings are gluten-free and dairy-free, and adhere to the Paleo Diet standards with vegetarian and vegan options…”

Next to the coffee bar, and on their second floor, they sell designer-wear like cashmere scarves, leather leggings, simple tees and Sheryl Lowe jewelry. They also sell pillows, candles, blankets and other decor from local boutique Forty Five Ten, which are held in an offset room attached to the cafe called “Chapter 02.” This little, sun-lit room is lined with bookshelves decorated with art prints, vases and books. Whether I’m spending a couple hours studying with an almond chai tea or grabbing a quick americano to-go, I always stop and browse through the books. They have such a great collection. You can’t miss Number One next time you are in Highland Park Village. See what it’s all about here.

Speaking of Forty Five Ten, they also own a small cafe called the T Room, which is deemed the chicest spot to have lunch in Dallas. I’ve been wanting to try their pecan crusted chicken salad. A review on the T Room is coming soon.

This week I tried a new fitness class at a studio called City Surf Fitness. The studio’s workouts take place on moving surfboards, and all the classes are inspired by the act of surfing. For my first time, I attended the Buddha Board class: a yoga inspired workout. The studio is fairly small, holding only ten boards, but the creative decor successfully creates a serene, ocean-like atmosphere hundreds of miles from the nearest coast. All of the surfboards face a wall with the video of wave-scenes, surfers and sunsets being projected throughout class. The instructor faced every student, with their board surrounded by tiny candles. The lights were dim and the music was soft and relaxing. The other studio walls are covered in chalkboard paint with inspirational phrases, drawings and class information.

I loved the interior design and they sold some great products like Vim & Vigor cold-pressed juices, which makes my favorite almond milk, but I didn’t enjoy the class as much I thought I would. I felt like the surf board was too unstable and short in length for me to flow through the poses and hold them gracefully. The transitions were too choppy, and half the time I was nervous about the board falling too far to one side or the other. I felt like half the class I was focused on my frustration instead of my practice. I never fell, but many of the other participants did. A girl directly behind me seemed annoyed. Her surfboard had flopped to one side, and she had trouble keeping her balance on the board. For a long period of the class she either sat on top of the board or took a break in child’s pose. I stuck out the whole class, but this was one of the few instances where I kept eyeing the clock because I could not wait for it to be over. I just didn’t enjoy it. The instructor had quite a few friends in the class, people who I’m sure come often, so others seem to like it. I think City Surf Fitness is a great concept, but it just wasn’t for me.

I don’t want to nix the studio after only try though, so I’ll try one of their other classes soon. City Surf Fitness also offers classes called “City Surf,” which emphasizes surfing movements and routines, “Beach Body Bootcamp,” which includes interval and strength training, and “Big Kahuna,” which strengthens and tones muscles through resistance band training.

I’m very fitness and health oriented and I enjoy trying new studios and restaurants here in Dallas. My intentions for this blog are to try one or two new places a week and write about my experiences here. I won’t limit my posts to just Dallas, though, because I travel often. I’m also studying abroad in Sydney, Australia this coming fall and I’d like to continue to blog about my experiences there too.

Click here for the link to their website. Try a class! The studio’s introductory offer is $10 for one week of unlimited classes.